Breaking Blue: The Themes, Thesis, and Colors of Breaking Bad

by Pearson Moore

Marie is wearing black.Your eyes grow big and you lean in closer to the television screen. Marie never wears black. Something’s up. Something important is about to happen. You pause the action, do an online search. “Aha!” You jab at the computer “Black means violence.”Your online source lists the numerous times Hank or a bad guy wears black, always with pistols or rifles or submachine guns drawn and ready. The fan site congratulates itself for recognizing good guys wear black too, but only when something nasty is going to happen.You have goose bumps now, thrilled at the prospect of Marie Schrader wreaking havoc, pulling out a sidearm to show the bad guys who’s boss. Giddy, you jab the PLAY button on the remote.Marie walks into the building, finds the person she wants, they sit down and talk. There are no guns. No yelling. No drama. They just talk.“What?” you say, upset. “But the fan site says black means violence! Where is Marie’s gun? What’s going on here?” Mystified, confused, you stare at the screen and watch as two people have an orderly discussion.You know Breaking Bad uses color symbolism and you were hoping to extract more meaning from the scene. You were right to suspect that Marie’s black blouse and slacks were significant. They are. In fact, they're crucial to the scene. Breaking Blue will help you figure it out as no other guide can.The color symbolism of Breaking Bad is rich, consistent, and endlessly fascinating. Plumbing its depths, you gain far more enjoyment from each scene. When you can read the colors, applying the full meaning to each one, characters and events come alive in ways that otherwise escape you. Excitement builds as you sense a vibrancy that puts you in the scene, bringing immediacy and relevance to every word.The central idea in Breaking Blue is that each one of us can build and apply our own templates to figure out Breaking Bad’s deeper meaning. Reading Breaking Blue is like putting on stereoscopic All of a sudden hidden meanings jump out at you, and a once exciting television show becomes a veritable roller coaster ride.This is the only book you will find that explains the hundreds of disparate elements of the The core colors (blue, orange, yellow, green, and of course Marie's purple), all of them tied to central Corruption, innocence, randomness, meaning, self-deception, Karma, and dozens of others.No other guide makes sense of Hank's mineral collection. In fact, most commentators dismiss this critical Season Four touchstone, labeling it a dramatic misfire. Breaking Blue will show you that Hank's obsession with rocks is central to the plot, and explains the motivations of both Hank and his nemesis, Heisenberg. With Breaking Blue in hand, you will understand every nuance and amazing twist in one of the finest dramas of the 21st century.Breaking Blue contains every word of Pearson Moore’s introduction to the series, Breaking White. But that’s just the beginning. Touching on every episode in the show’s five seasons, Breaking Blue delivers groundbreaking, at times controversial analysis of every major color and theme, providing fans with ideas to ponder for months and years to come.

366 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 2, 2014

About the author

Pearson Moore is the author of "Deneb," the most exciting science fiction epic of the decade. "Deneb" follows dozens of memorable characters thrown into a hostile, alien environment as they scramble to understand the deeply-layered mysteries that control their lives. As they dig into ancient visions and secrets, they discover a web of conspiracies and evil intentions that span 45,000 years of history and call into question the most basic of assumptions about human will, desire, and destiny. With profound allusions to literature old and new, "Deneb" is a story that will stay with readers for years to come.

Moore is the bestselling author of "LOST Humanity," for many years the #1 bestselling companion book to the television series LOST, written in the style that has earned him tens of thousands of followers worldwide. As well as authoring several LOST-related volumes, including "LOST Identity," Pearson has written well-received companion books for both Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad.

With over 100 essays on LOST, read at over 40,000 websites around the world, Moore is recognized as a leading authority on the groundbreaking television series. "LOST Humanity" was the #1 Bestseller in its class for 14 weeks in 2011 and several weeks in 2012. His second book on LOST, "LOST Identity," includes illustrations by renowned LOST artist ArtGUS, and concentrates on the unique characters of LOST. Moore edited the highly regarded "LOST Thought" and "LOST Thought University Edition," now required reading in many college film and drama courses.

Moore has been Featured Writer at SL-Lost.com, the Dark UFO website, Westeros.org, and WinterIsComing.com. In addition to "Game of Thrones Season One Essays" and "Game of Thrones Season Two Essays," he is author of the "Thrones Questions and Comments" series of Game of Thrones books which analyze the television series in the rich, insightful essay format that has become his hallmark.

Pearson Moore writes in several genres, including historical fiction, science fiction, and current events non-fiction. His first novel, "Cartier's Ring," was published in April, 2011. "Cartier's Ring" is the story of the founding of Canada in 1608 as seen from the Aboriginal perspective. Moore has also written "Intolerable Loyalty," a novel set in Québec during the American Revolutionary War, and "Trinity," a science fiction novel treating the emergence of a genetically unique population and its social and political implications.

Reviews

[Mark Allen Kleiman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the Best, But Provocative and Worth the Read

A careful analysis of Breaking Bad by a close, attentive observer who is a gifted chemist to boot. Pearson's insight into scene analysis and character development make the book sing, and his induction of Walt Whitman into the mix is delightful.

Less delightful is the uneven development of the book itself and the disjointed, disorganized, and somewhat self-absorbed text. I sometimes felt as though I were reading a dog's breakfast of only tangentially connected essays. As gifted as he is, Pearson's writing calls out for the strong hand of a good editor.

But read it anyway. It leaves a lot to think about.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pearson Moore covers A LOT of ground and theories and musings and.... A LOT of ground in this examination of Breaking Bad. And while all his thoughts did not ring true for me, that is a point that Moore returns to time and time again- What we bring to the show is what informs our experience watching and digesting the show. And that's OK. A must read for any Breaking Bad fanatic.

[Arnel Šarić · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is reviewed in my Breaking Bad Books Special:

http://www.onajkojikuca.com/?p=605

(Bosnian only, sorry!)